Machine for making wire-and-picket fences



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' (No Model,)

B. E. MoGULLEY. MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE AND PIOKET FENCE-S.

No. 374,079; Patented Nov. 29, 1887.

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- MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE AND PIGKBT FENCES. No. 374,079. Patented Nov...29, 1887.

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vertical section taken on line II II, Fig. I,

. the sprocket-teeth.

' UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ELMER E.-MOCULLEY, OF- BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING WlRE-AND-PICKET FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,079, dated November 29, 1887.

Application filed May-13, 1887. Serial No. 238.106. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER E. MoCULLEY, of Belleville, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Making Wire-and-Picket Fences, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure I is a side elevation of my machine with a section of the wire-and-picket fence it is erecting, showing the means of running the machine forward as it effects its work and its simultaneous twist of the wires. Fig. II is a locking from the fence, showing the twisters and the action of -the endless drive-chain on Fig. III is a detached perspective view of one of the twisters, including the sprocket-wheel attached thereto. Fig. IV is a horizontal section taken online IV IV, Fig. I, looking upward, showing the interior of the twister with the position of the Wires passingthrough it. Fig.V is a'horizontal section taken 011 line V V, Fig. I, looking upward, showing the crank action on the bevelpinion gear that works the sprocket drivewheel. Fig. VI is a horizontal section taken on line VI VI, Fig. I, looking upward, showing the clamping-brackets that hold the loose picket to its position until locked inthe embrace of the wire, and Fig.VII is a horizontal section taken on line VII VII, Fig. I, looking udownward, showing the clamping device attached to the machine,with the rear clampinglug engaged against the last fast picket, and

, the lugs from the machine holding the fresh picket about to be locked by the twisted wires.

My invention is a. machine. for making wireand-picket fences; and it consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring'to the drawings, in which similar figures of reference indicate like parts in all the views, 1 represents my fence-machine set up and in operation; 2, the vertical post, preferably made of angle-iron, and. to which the several parts of themachine are attached.

3 represents the twisters, which consist of the barrel-bracket 4, in and in connection with which the several parts of said twister are cated, and which has wings 5, through perforations 6 of which and corresponding holes, 7, in the vertical post screw-nutted bolts 8 engage to secure the twister to the post. sprocket wheel 9, supplied with sprocketteeth 10 around its periphery, has a circular opening, 11, in its center, in which one end of the tube 12 is secured. Said tube has bearings within the barrel-bracket 4c, and, in conjunction with the sprocket-wheel, is provided with an elongated slot, 13, that once in each of its revolutions within the barrel comes into coincidence with a like slot, 14, in the barrel, to allow of unshipping the machine from the wires when not in use.

15 are the two twister-disks, duplicates of each other, each provided with cylindrical projections 16, that are seated within at each end of the tube 12, and have a projecting lug, 17 that engages in the slot 13 in said tube and enforces a simultaneous rotary movement to the disks when the sprocket-Wheel and its tube move. Thesetwister-diskshaveeach twoslots, 18, that pass through opposite sides of the disk and its projections, and in which the twin wires-19 are seated, that areto embrace the picket Y 20. A pivot screw-pin, 21, passes through center holes, 22, in the two disks and their projections and is secured in its seat by the nut 23. Ihave shown three of these twisters attached to the vertical post of the machine;

A cheap fence maybe constructed with two such lines fastening the pickets near the top and bottom; but a neater and more substantial fence can also be made, as shown, with the three lines of attachment,or more, if required.

24 represents the bevel-pinion crank-gear by which the machine is operated. It is supported on the post by means of a bracket, 26, formed with wings, journal-box 29, and yoke 25. Screw-nutted bolts 28 are passed through perforations 27 in the wings for securing the bracket to the post.

30 is the main shaft, having bearing in the journal-box. The said shaft carries the drive sprocket-wheel 31, with its sprocket-wheel 32 at one end and the bevel-pinion 33 at the other, both rigidly secured to the shaft.

34 is a transverse shaft that has bearings 35 Thethrough the front of the yoke 25 and intothe journal-box of the main shaft at 36. The shaft 34 carries a bevel-pinion, 37, that meshes into the bevel-pinion 33, and when operated by the crank-handle 38 (also on the shaft 34) to turn said bevel-pinion 33 the sprocket-wheel 31 is rotated and the sprocket-teeth around its periphery engage in the endless drive-chain 39, which also engaging in the sprocketteeth on the wheels of the twisters that carry the twin wires 19, which embrace a fresh picket, the wire is twisted and tightly holds said picket in place. According as a close or open fence is desired, the number of revolutions of the crank-handle is regulated, for as the length of the twist is increased it is evident the width of the opening between pickets will be correspondingly increased.

40 represents gage-plates, which are ad j ustably secured by screw-nutted bolts 41, that are seated in perforations in the vertical post, and, passing through the elongated slot 43 in the gage, hold it to its wo k and allow its adjustment, which is varied in accordanee-to the width of the picket and the distance between pickets. An angle flange, 44:, on one end of said gage presses against the forward edge of the fresh inserted picket and holds it in its position until embraced by the twin strands of the twisting-wire.

45 represents the adjustable clamping-bar that holds the machine to its work. It is adjustably secured in its seat between the projecting flanges 46 on the intervening bracketframe 47, one arm of which is fastened to the vertical post by the screw-nutted bolt 48. The screw-nutted bolt 49 passes through the post and through the rear of said bracket-frame,

and a screw-nutted bolt, 50, passes through.

the front thereof and then engages in the one of the three adjustment-holes 51 near the end of the bar that will regulate the clamping-bar to best accord with the width of the vacancies between the pickets and the width of the picket to be clamped in its seat, and holds said clamping-bar securely.

A sliding flanged bracket, 52, at the back of the clamping-bar is connected with the washerplate 53 in front of said bar by rivets 54, that slide in the elongated slot 55 in the bar. One of said rivets also attaches the sliding bracket and washer to a pivoted link, 56, which has pivotal connection with the lower extremity of the handlever 57, that has its pivotal bearing 58 secured to the clamping-bar.

A handle, 59, projects from the rear end of the clamping bar and provides a hold for steadying the same while the clamping home of the picket is being effected.

A traveler-wheel, 60, running on its axlepin 61, that is secured in its seat 62 at the foot of the angle-post by the nut 63, runs on atemporary board, 64, that is laid down on the ground in line with the course of the fence. The pickets that are in front of the posts 65 are secured to them by nails 66, so that the line of pickets is firmly secured to the line of posts, which may be set at any suitable distance apart before the making of the fence. Staples 67 may still further secure the fastening of the wire to the pickets.

Vhen a fence is to be erected, the posts may be planted along the intended line of fence at any suitable distance apart, and the wires stretched along said line in pairs at the elevations at which the pickets are to be twisted in, and the forward ends of said wires have any suitable tension attachment, by a spring-clamp or otherwise, to give out the wire under the draft-pressure effected by the twisting of the same. After nailing on a single picket, to which the wires are secured by the staples, or by looping the wire around the picket, the machine is erected in front of said picket, and the drive-chain having been removed from engagement with thesprocketwheels, the pivot-pins 21 are then disengaged from their nuts, and with the disks 15 are removed from the tubes 12 of the twisters. The slots 13 in the sleeves of said tubes are brought into coincidence with the slots in the bracketbarrel in which the tube is inclosed. It is then evident that the pairs of wires, which in each case are ranged at an elevation to correspond with that of the twisters,can have free entrance within the coincident slots of the barrel and tube. The wires are then each inserted in their individual slots 18 of the disks 15, and the projections 16 of said disks are again seated within the tubes 12, their projecting lugs 17 engaging within the slot 13, to insure their simultaneous rotation with said tubes and the sprocketwheels to which they are secured. The pivot pin 21 is next replaced and its screw-nut attached. A board is laid down along the intended line of fence and the wheel 60 at the foot of the vertical post rests and runs thereon. The machine is not only carried on said wheel, but it will be seen that it is also supported by the wires which are seated in the slots of the disks 15. The crankhandle 38 is then turned, and through its bevelgear connection with the drive sprocket-wheel 31 operates the endless chain that drives the sprocket-wheels of the twisters, and with them twists the twin wires into one strand close to the picket. The crank is turned until the twist extends a sufficient length along the wire to constitute the required space between the pickets. It will be seen thatif the first picket is secured in an exactly vertical position, as the drive-chain acts simultaneously on the sprocket-wheels of all the twisters, each succeeding picket (with machine regularity) will be added to the fence also in a vertical position. The clamping-bar is now placed in po sition, with the flange of the sliding bracket 52 pressing against the rear edge of the fast picket; but thesaid bracket itself is yet toward the rear end of the elongated slot in said clamping-bar, in which it slides to allow a good longitudinal space between the wires for the ICO insertion of the next picket. A fresh picket is now inserted in its place between the strands of the twin wires and the handle of the pivoted lever 57 is drawn back, running forward the sliding bracket in the elongated slot, and

consequently, as the flange of the bracket-is against the rear edge of the fast picket,"drawing back the machine until the angle-flanges on its gage-plates strike the forward edge of the fresh picket and drive it home against the twisted wire. The gage-plates, as also the clampingbar, are adjusted, as has been described, to leave the desired vacancy between the pickets, according as it is desired to make an open or aloose fence. The picket now being clamped in position, the crank-handle 38 is again turned and the endless chain is again operated to drive the sprocket-wheels of the twisters to twist the twin'wires and tightly embrace the picket, as before described, and the crank is turned until the twist extends across the required vacancy between the pickets.

The crank that operates the twisters is on each alternateoccasion, after working in a picket, turned in an opposite direction to that preceding to prevent the twisting up of the wire ahead of the machine. As the work proceeds, whenever'the position of a picket is in front of a post, it (the picket) is secured to the post loy nails 66, thus securely attaching the machine-made portion of the fence to the planted posts. The wires also may, if preferred, be further secured to the pickets by staples 67 but said staples are not an essential feature in the invention, for the machine itself clamps the picket home firmly and causes the twin wires to so tightly embrace the pickets that they are firmly held by the wires.

It will be seen that after the twin wires have been placed in their seats in the twisters all that is necessary for the operators to do to effeet the building of the fence is to feed the pickets, adjust them into position by the lever of the clamping-bar, and turn the crank-handle of the bevel-gear to work them in between the strands. Then the machine is run ahead, its wheel running on the board,and the operation repeated until a post is reached along the line, when the picket that comes opposite to itais nailed to it.

One of the advantages of the invention is the ease with which the wires are inserted within the twisters, and the readiness with which the machine can be withdrawn from the wires (without in either case cutting them) when a line of fence is finished, or when quitting The machine, it will be seen, is capable of being worked from either right or left hand,

which is an advantage, as sometimes it is more It will also be seent-hat not only, as before described, do the coincident slots by which the wires find entrance to the twisters,and the removable slotted disks in which they are seated, offer an easy means for the attachment and detach mentof the machine, but also, thebev'el-gear that drives the machine, with the twistersthat hold and twist the wire, and the clamping-bar,being all secured on the same side ofthesingle vertical post, the arrangement offers facilities for the' attachment and removal of the machine that no two-posted machine could have.

I claim as my iuvcntion- 1. The combination, with the post 2, adjustable gage-plate 40, formed with angleflange 44 and slot 43, and the screw-bolt and nut 41, of the adjustable clampingbar 45,

.having the sliding bracket 52, the lever pivoted to the bar,'and the link 56, connecting the lever with the bracket, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the post 2, the bracket 47, the adjustable clamping-bar 45, formed with elongated slot 55, the sliding bracket 52, working in said slot, the operating-lever 57, and the connecting-link 56,-substantially as described.

3. The combination of the post 2, the bracket 47, they adjustable clamping-bar 45, formed with elongated slot 55, the sliding bracket 52, hand-lever 57, pivoted to the bar, and the link '56, connecting the lever to the sliding bracket, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the post 2, the bracket 4, having the wings 5, the sprocket-Wheel 9, having the tube 12 fitting in the bracket, the twister-disks 15, one in each end of the tube, and a pivot-pin, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the post 2, the bracket 4, having opening 14, the sprocket-wheel 9, formed with tube 12 and an opening, 13, extending through the Wheel and tube, the disks 15 and pivot-pin 21, each of the disks being formed with a cylindrical projection, 16, having lug 17, and two slots, 18, extending through the disk and projection, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the twisters having sprocket-wheels and the endless chain, of the'post 2, the bracket 26, formed with a jour nal-box, 29, the yoke 25, main shaft 30, bevel gear-wheel 33, sproeketwheel 81, crank-shaft 34, bevel-pinion 37, and handle 38, substan' tially as described.

7. The combination of the vertical angle post 2, the twisters 3, having sprocket-wheels 9, the bevel-pinion crank-gear 24,, having sprocket-wheel 31, the endless chain 39, and the adjustable gage-plate, substantially as dcscribed.

8. The combination of the post having the adj ustable gage-plate, the bevel'pinion crank gear 24, comprising bracket 26, journal-box 29, main shaft 30, sprocketwvheel 3L, trans verse shaft 34, bevel-pinion 37, cranlohandle 3S, and gear-wheel 33, thetwisters 3, having sprocket-wheels 9, and the endless chain, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the post, the bevelpinion crank-gear 24, having a sprocket-Wheel, the twisters 3, each comprising a sprocketwhoel, 9. having a tube, 12, bracket 4, and disks 15, having slots 18, and the endless chain, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the post, the bevelpinion crank-gear 24, the endless chain, and the twisters 3, each twister comprising a bracket, 4, having slot 14, and sprocket-wheel 9, having tube 12 and slot 18, substantially as described.

11. The combination of the post, the bevelpinion crank-gear 24, the twisters 3, sprocketwhccls, endless chain, the adjustable bar 45, the sliding bracket 52, the lever pivoted to the bar, connecting-link 56, and adjustable gage-plates, substantially as described.

12. The combination of the bevel-pinion crank-gear 24, endless chain, the twisters 3, the anglepost, the adjustable bar 45, having slot 55, pivoted hand-lever 57, pivoted link 56, sliding bracket 52, having washer-plate 53 and eonnectingwivets 54, and the handle 59, substantially as described.

13. The combination of the post, the ad justable gage-plates 40, and the adj ustable bar 45, having elongated slot 55 and provided with pivoted handlever, slidinghraeket, and link, substantially as described.

BENJN. A. KNIGHT, SAML. KNIGHT. 

